What is IT Penetration Testing?

You may have heard of IT penetration testing and vulnerability assessments. The two are similar but IT penetration testing includes much more than a vulnerability assessment. Penetration testing is a process of assessing the security of a computer system or network by creating a simulated attack on your system as if it were from a hacker. The process is similar to a vulnerability assessment, but includes much more. A vulnerability assessment is normally conducted by a machine that scans through the system and searches for vulnerabilities in your network. Penetration testing is done by an actual human being that reviews the information taken from the vulnerability scan. They also validate the results against the network or applications. With penetration testing, there are often new discoveries that the machine can’t find. The study is frequently carried out from the position of a prospective hacker so that it can find the risks that hackers will find.

You know that you want your website and network to be safe and secure. Penetration testing is a way to identify high risk vulnerabilities that may result from low risk vulnerabilities. Penetration testing is also done so that vulnerabilities that may be difficult to detect with regular network or vulnerability scan software. Penetration testing is also the best way for testing networks and responding to hacking attacks.

Probably the best reason to have penetration testing on your network is because they are an important element of a security audit. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) and the security and auditing standards require ongoing penetration testing.